Four injuries recorded at bathing pools in five years
Four injuries relating to the bathing pools have been recorded in the last five years, and eight accidents have been reported.
In early February Environment & Infrastructure announced it needed to remove the diving platform after the Health & Safety Executive served a prohibition notice on the States for the platform, over concerns the pool was too shallow for safe diving and there was a lack of supervision. The move was halted after a public outcry, and a team of islanders are now trying to agree an alternative option.
But details on the concerns that sparked the prohibition notice had been limited until now.
A Freedom of Information request has this week revealed some more information.
An Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services spokesman said while some injuries were reported, the States was aware that there could be more, with Vive la Vallette staff suggesting that the public also reported injuries to them.
‘This is therefore known to be an inaccurate indication of injuries incurred, in that the actual number of injuries is higher than the number reported to the States,’ he said.
Similarly the spokesman said that not all accidents were reported to the States, meaning these numbers were also likely to be higher. The States has spent just over £500,000 on maintaining and running the four bathing pools since 2020, with inspections undertaken regularly. Surfaces around the pool are cleaned of algae every fortnight.
The Guernsey Press has been asking questions about the diving board since mid-February to try and better understand how many incidents there have been, and how serious they were.
Environment & Infrastructure has said it would not discuss any specific incidents or any matters relating to them, and refused to answer other questions about the board’s safety or give timescales for when it was decided to remove the board.
Questions are due to be asked about the diving platform by Deputy John Dyke in the States today.
